Elek: We are on the verge of a humanitarian collapse, the situation is alarming

Zlatan Elek, the director of the Clinical Hospital Center in North Mitrovica, stated that the situation in the institution was alarming and that medicine supplies were running out due to the decision of the authorities in Pristina to ban the delivery of medications, as reported by Politika.

"Oxygen cylinders were delivered to us yesterday, but we are running out of medications, medical supplies, and intravenous solutions," Elek said.

He added that a licensed company, after more than a month and a half, was unilaterally prohibited by the authorities in Pristina from delivering medicines, which has resulted in the hospital being depleted.

"If our problem is not resolved by tomorrow, we will not be able to function. The Clinical Hospital Center in Kosovska Mitrovica is facing a humanitarian catastrophe before the eyes of the entire world. Patients are suffering, yet the world remains silent," Elek emphasized.

He further pointed out that the Government of Kosovo, led by Albin Kurti, was challenging and ignoring everything that had been agreed upon in Brussels and signed in the Brussels Agreement.

"It is well known that this hospital treats more than 90 percent of the Serbian and non-Albanian population, but also Albanians, and not only Albanians living in the northern part of Kosovo but also those coming from areas south of the Ibar River. Due to the decision of one man, Kurti in this case, the lives of bedridden patients are at risk. The situation is alarming, and we are on the verge of a humanitarian collapse," Elek stressed.

Since mid-June, the Government of Kosovo's decision has prevented the entry of trucks carrying goods of Serbian origin to northern Kosovo, which has resulted in shortages of basic necessities and empty shelves in private pharmacies, as Politika reminds.

Consequently, as noted, obtaining medications that are not available in the hospital pharmacy in Mitrovica has become impossible, and people are forced to travel to central Serbia - Raska and Novi Pazar - to get their medications.

The staff of the Clinical Hospital Center in North Mitrovica has repeatedly expressed support for the Serbs who have been protesting since May 26th due to the incursions of Albanian mayors, with the support of KFOR and Kosovo Police Special Forces, into municipal buildings in Zvecan, Leposavic, and Zubin Potok. The protesters have been demanding that the buildings be freed, the Kosovo special units withdraw, and normal movement and access to the hospital in North Mitrovica be ensured.

Due to the threat posed by the members of the special units and the cordon that they have set up along the entire administrative boundary between northern Kosovo and central Serbia, as well as the checkpoints manned by armed special police units from Pristina, the movement of ambulances has been obstructed, and they have been thoroughly searched several times by the same special police officers.

Even when ambulances carried patients who had undergone heart surgery in Belgrade or had cardiology procedures in Valjevo, detailed searches were conducted.

The situation in northern Kosovo is currently calm but also very fragile, as special forces members continue to occupy municipal buildings and patrol urban and rural areas throughout the north. In the night hours, locals avoid using major roads leading to Jarinje and Brnjak due to the control of these busy routes by the armed units of the Kosovo Police, supported by rapid action units "Fit." As emphasized in the text, drones have been spotted in the municipalities in northern Kosovo recently, particularly at night, filming the most remote villages beneath Rogozna, Mokra Gora, and Kopaonik.

As mentioned in the article, Serbs are fearful, especially with the announcement that Kurti has added 45 more Serbian names to his "new" lists, accusing them of alleged events from May 26th and 29th in three municipalities in the north, where KFOR members, Albanian mayors, and also special units remain, although they are no longer in front of municipal buildings but are inside them.